Saturday, March 16, 2013

Do you hear what I hear? No

My 8-year-old nephew tended goal in his hockey game I watched this week. I am no hockey fanatic, but I am pretty sure that is not his position. He was the most unconcerned goalie I have ever seen -- oh, did the puck just hit my skate? Whatever -- and his nonchalance got me laughing.

I didn't want him to know I was laughing at him -- of course, his mother told him when we got home -- and I wondered if he could hear me.

I quickly dismissed the idea because it was ludicrous that he could hear me in the hockey rink because he was on the ice with 75 loud kids, and it was.

But what then occurred to me, and was much harder to dismiss, was that I have no idea what normal people hear and what they don't. No concept.

UPDATE: I also did not hear the bag-piper at my sister's party either. I did hear the snare drum in some song they blasted at 1:44 a.m.

What's this?

A friend of mine and I decided that when you are bitter, you have two options. You can be mean and angry bitter, which begets pity. Or you can be a funny bitter, which inspires laughter, maybe empathy and even learning. It is a very fine line between the two.

I asked my favorite visual artist I am related to to illustrate this. She did an awesome job.It is quite a task. I am definitely bitter. I hope I am funny.